After more than a year of work, a Kentucky task force charged with discovering new ways to fight bullying has announced its recommendations in a 29-page report.
According to the Kentucky Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force, one in four Kentucky students ages 12-18 reported being bullied in 2011, and schools reported more than 15,000 instances of bullying the following school year.
In a press conference Tuesday, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear laid out four basic recommendations for schools across the commonwealth:
- The adoption of one formal, statewide definition of bullying - "unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time and can happen anywhere."
- Promotion of a positive learning environment
- Investing in behavioral health counselors as a preventative measure
- The establishment of a state-level agency to coordinate community efforts on bullying prevention
Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes along with former Department of Education Commissioner Terry Holliday co-chaired the 26-member task force. Its youngest member, 11-year-old Paducah 7th-grader Morgan Guess, says her experience as a bullying victim drove her work.
“We have more than a dozen laws in place to protect students," Guess said. "And while they are important, I believe the real change comes from every Kentuckian, every day, being committed to building a better climate in our schools, in our homes and across our communities.”
Beshear says while he's proud of what the panel has accomplished, their findings mark the first step in a long-term process.
"We can’t pat ourselves on the back and toss this report in the corner to gather dust," Beshear said. "We have a moral obligation to ensure the physical, psychological and emotional health of our children and to create an environment that is free of intimidation and harassment."